Although killer clown sightings are the main topic of discussion these past few weeks, there is one thing aspect in chemistry that is just as weird and creepy (because it is Halloween month): NanoPutians. NanoPutians were first introduced to me in my Chem 218 class and are defined as synthetic organic molecules that resemble human forms which include but are not limited to: athletes, monarchs, bakers, and chefs.
The process begins with the synthesis of a NanoKid which provides the structural backbone for the various forms of NanoPutians. This is carried out in two multistep reactions with the upper portion which includes the head and body and the lower portion which includes the waist and legs synthesized separately as shown (1):
The upper and the lower portions are then joined via a Pd/Cu catalyzed coupling reaction to yield the NanoKid as shown (1):
Microwave radiation, in the presence of a 1,2 or a 1,3 diol, is the methodology for the “head-conversion reaction” of a NanoKid to yield the series of NanoPutians (1). Depending on the reaction conditions, the NanoPutian could resemble that of an athlete (NanoAthlete), a pilgrim (NanoPilgrim), a Green Beret (NanoGreenBeret), a jester (NanoJester), a monarch (NanoMonarch), a Texan (NanoTexan), a scholar (NanoScholar), a baker (NanoBaker), or a chef (NanoChef) as shown (1):
Furthermore, if you are not satisfied with the diversity, miscellaneous reactions that do not implement a NanoKid backbone can yield NanoToddlers and NanoBalletDancers. A NanoPutian Chain can also be synthesized, with modifications to the synthesis of the upper portion of the NanoPutian to yield an AB polymer configuration, to resemble individual NanoPutians “holding hands” and to symbolize multinanolism and peace on NanoEarth (okay I’ll admit I made that up) as shown (1):
Now you may ask yourself: “Who funds this kind of research?”, “Why would anyone invest their time on this?”, or “What is the significance in learning about NanoPutians to the scientific community?”. Truth be told, there is no known significance (yet), in terms of chemical and practical applications, which may explain the limited research in this area (2). However, the synthesis of NanoPutians contributes a significant role in aspiring the younger generations in science and more specifically, the field of chemistry (2). And sometimes, we tend to forget how important that really is. If scientific advancements are to be made in the future (and one can only predict what the future will look like), the younger generations must be inspired by science and motivated to learn more in order to solve the problems and answer the questions, that we could not, about the world we live in.
-Andrew Siu
Chem 300 Section 109
References
Chanteau, S., Tour, J. Synthesis of Anthropomorphic Molecules: The NanoPutians. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2003, 68, 8750.
NanoPutians. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NanoPutian (accessed Oct. 8, 2016).
